Illuminated sign.



No. 739,926,I PATENTBD SEPT, 29, 19913.

. H. B. PULSIFER.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLOATlUH FILED JI'UNE B. 1903.

No MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY R. PULsIFER, on WORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. vagone, dated september 29, 190e.

Application tiled June 8, 1903. I Serial No. 160,542. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. PULSIFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcesterl and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Illuminated Sign, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of signs which are lighted by electricity or otherwise ro to display advertising or other desired reading matter.

The especial objects of this invention are to provide a sign of this character in which the illuminating-orifices are combined with raised letters or characters in such a way that during the day-time the sign will have the appearance of an ordinary business sign and the presence of the illuminating-orices Will not interfere with its legibility and to have the 2o illuminating-perforations punched through the face-plate of the sign in such a Way as to more perfectly .prevent rain or snow from beating into the inside of the sign-box.

To these ends this invention consists of the illuminated sign and of the combinations of parts therein, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is 3o a front View of a sign constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail View showing the way ,in which the perforations are made in the signface-plate.

In that class of signs to which this invention relates the electric lamps or other lights are placed in a sign-box behind a perforated sign-plate, so that when the lamps are lighted 4o the reading matter will be shown by reason of the light shining through the small perforations Which outline the letters. In this class of illuminated signs plain sheet-metal sign-faces have heretofore ordinarily been employed. The perforations have usually been punched Within the outlines of each letter, and the letters have been simply painted directly onto the plain sheet-metal face. The illuminating-perforations in signs openings. f

5o of this class as heretofore constructed have been lso prominent as to interfere with the legibility of such'V signs during-the day-time. ToY overcome this difficulty in a sign constructed according to my invention, I prolletters or characters will distract attention -from the perforations, so that a sign constructed according to my invention during .the day-time will have the appearance of an ordinarybusiness sign, the perforations being substantially invisible, but that when the sign is lighted up at night the raised characters will not interfere with theproper illumination of the sign,'but, on the contrary, the beveled edges of the characters will afford 7o additional reflecting means for more 'clearly outlining the-letters.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, the body portion or box of a sign constructed according to this invention as herein illustrated comprises a base-strip 10, an inclined top strip 13, an intermediate strip l2, a verticalsheet-metal sign-face 14, and a sheetmetal back piece ll, the inner surface of which is covered with zinc-foil or otherwise 8o silvered to act as a reflector. A

The electric lamps or other lights are arranged in the bottom of the box below the perforations. If electric lamps L are to be used, they are preferably arranged horizongtally, as shown, and they are supported at such distance from the reflecting-surface ll that a substantially uniform` illumination will be reflected through the illuminatingc 9o In practice I have found that an ordinary incandescent electric lamp when placed in proper relation to a reflecting-surface of substantially the inclination illustrated Willgive a uniform illumination for a height of about eighteen inches. For signs which are higher than this two or more rows of lights are required.

The raised characters 16, which are secured upon the front face of the sign, are located roo- 'the reading matter When the sign is lighted.

The illuminating perforations, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, instead of being stamped or punched through the sheet-metal sign-face in the ordinary manner, are each formed with a small pressed-in flange or bead, and I consider this a desirable feature of construction, as I have found in practice that by punching the illuminating-holes in this way snow and rain will be more perfectly excluded from the interior of the sign-box.

I am aware that changes may be made in practicing my invention by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope thereof as expressed in the claims. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the construction I have herein shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As an article of manufacture, an illu minated sign comprising a sign-box, having a light therein, and having a perforated front face with raised characters located Within the spaces outlined by the illuminating-perforations.

2. As an article of manufacture, an illuminated sign comprising a sign-box having a light located therein, and having a perforated sign-face with raised characters located within the spaces outlined by the illuminatingperforations, said raised characters having beveled or inclined edges which act as reflecting-surfaces for the light passing through the illuminating-perforations.

3. As an article of manufacture, an illuminated sign comprising a sign-box with alight located therein, and with a perforated sheetmetal sign-face, each perforation of which is provided with a bent-in protecting flangeor rim, and raised characters located within the spaces outlined by the illuminating-perforations, said raised characters h aving inclined or beveled sides which act as reflecting'surfaces for the light passing through the illuminating-perforations.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY B. PULSIFER. Witnesses:

J. ELMER HALL, PHILIP W.- SQUTHGATE. 

